Trying to be is not easy when you are busy with Christmas and New Year socializing. I will rest now from the blog until the new year and work hard to finalize all the logging and transcribing of footage from the documentary film so far. A fantastic editor is on board the project so the next stage is coming into being. Believe! Happy New Year.

Trying to be is not easy but having great friends and family around makes it alot easier. Amanda and the talented members of Drags Aloud are having a well earned Christmas break. I am travelling with my family so just now I'm taking a quiet moment in a hectic Christmas day that began at 4.30 am (thanks Santa) and updating the blog.


Let me tell you a little about my experience of Amanda Monroe and Drags Aloud. In March 2008 my dear friend Anthony, an old friend from my secondary school days took me along to see his then beloved, a talented Drag Performer known as Linda Lamont. The Melbourne Comedy festival was in its last weeks of a gruelling 4 week season and Drags Aloud were in fine form creating a storm every night with the Greased Lightn' Drag Show. Amongst comic performers from all around the world Melbourne's only Drag Queens to ever be accepted into this internationally famous comedy festival were in the midst of their second season.



The previous year a gruelling season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (where they won the coveted Best New talent award) set them up for a 2nd season in Australia where the fun of Grease started in Adelaide. The appreciating crowds of Adelaide loved the show and sent Drags Aloud off with echoes of cheering and wolf whistles in their ears. So when I first met them they had come home to Melbourne for the 2nd season and Drags Aloud were fired up to give their all to Melbourne's comedy loving crowds. In the big circus tent on the main Federation square river frontage area, Drags Aloud had the crowd (including me a Grease fan from way back) singing and laughing throughout the fantastic performance. The satirical and bawdy humour had us all clapping, cheering and highly energised.


After the music died down, the applause ended and the crowds left I spent the next couple of hours talking to everyone, but in particular I spent a lot of time talking to Amanda. Her story fasinated me and intrigued me. The initial thoughts I had were how fantasticly she had used costume, character and performance to more fully express herself and to live the fullest life she could create for herself. With this idea in mind as a base I went back to my own very domestic and conservative life thinking there was no idea I could fit in making a documenatry about this amazing travelling Drag Performance troup. But, I could not stop thinking about Amanda's journey and what she and the talented members of Drags Aloud namely, Jess, Linda and Kris had achieve for themselves, for Drag Queens and for Australian Performance artists over the previous few years. Until next time I'll leave it there. Merry Christmas and live it up!

Trying to be is not easy, but the whole blog thing is getting easier. Have mastered the art of connecting my blog to the facebook but not the other way round! The fantastic picture of Amanda and Joan i posted yesterday is one of my favourites. Joan Rivers is an important icon for Amanda and she has spent quite a lot of time with her over the past two years. Most recently Amanda Monroe and Drags Aloud opened for Joan Rivers at The Melbourne Arts Centre. After a rocky beginning the show went on and everyone loved Drags Aloud and of course they loved Joan who wouldn't? It was a great night. More on Amanda Monroe, Joan Rivers and Drags Aloud to come.

Trying to be is not easy. Firstly, let me acknowledge the origin of this phrase and the reason I am using it in my work. Trying to be is the title of a fantastic song written and performed by Buella Blue. She is an amazing Australian composer and performer whose song sums up so many things I have wanted to say about my own life but also that of my current subject, Amanda Monroe, a male to female transgendered Drag Queen and a member of Drags Aloud. So to you Buella Blue thank you. Beaulla Blue has kindly allowed me to use Trying to be as part of my documentary film sound track. You will be hearing more from me about the talented Buella Blue as the production and post production progresses.

Trying to be is not easy. I don't know about you but there are days when most things are hard and nothing is easy. Imagine what it would be like if you were trying to be - but you were a person born with the wrong gender and living in the wrong body. What questions would you ask yourself to begin the process of fixing the grave error of nature if it happened to you? If you decided to re-assign your gender would you hide away or seek out the spot light by performing on stage - as a Drag Queen? Can performance help a man to learn to be a woman? These questions and more are the focus of my thinking as I work hard to build the visual story of Amanda Monroe and her most amazing pathway to transformation. Her courage has inspired me, her dedication has impressed me and her wisdom has taught me. I only hope I can do justice to this most amazing story of re-invention and hope.

Would love to hear any comment, thoughts or opinions on my first blog.